Giannis Antetokounmpo Named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People List

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s fame has grown consistently since his days as a Twitter smoothie superstar, and TIME Magazine bestowed yet another honor that will bring his name to another audience:

Giannis stood alongside celebrities, politicians, business and media moguls, as well as other sports stars in this annual list of the most influential people each year. The blurb, written by another legendary Bucks figure, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, touches both on Giannis’s ascension as both a basketball player and a person. His emergence as the league’s premier talent, at least in the regular season, and its most consistent source of electrifying, “leave you gobsmacked” plays catapulted him into the rarified air with his dual winning of MVP and DPOY. On top of that, he stood alongside his teammates in leading the charge for racial justice following the shooting of Jacob Blake. He led a march with his teammates following George Floyd’s murder as well.

Giannis took his impact well beyond the basketball court and earned a well-deserved honor among many other titans this year. I’m not sure if I’ll see any Buck land on this list again for the rest of my lifetime. When you’re able to, soak it in.